Home Plates: More Elementary School Recipes

Carolyn Gutierrez would like to add her own chapter to our recent discussions of elementary school cookbooks. No, she's not yet another graduate, parent or teacher from Miner Elementary in San Jose. The school's 1976 cookbook prompted much nostalgia and reminded Gutierrez of her own treasured school cookbook.

"I still have my copy -- finger-painted front cover and our teacher mimeographed the recipes -- from 'Our Favorite Recipes 2nd Grade Christmas 1961' from my grade school in Tiburon," says Gutierrez, who now lives in Sunnyvale. "The book is actually in great condition, and the recipes are simple and delicious."

Gutierrez shared her favorite cookie recipe from this vintage treasure. You can make these cereal cookies your own by using your cereal of choice in the recipe. Think cornflakes, Product 19, Special K or similar cereals.

Last week's column about a soft pumpkin cookie prompted Barbara Endersbe to share as well. "When visiting this spring in Canada, I was served this cake," says Endersbe, describing a pumpkin angel food cake. "It is made from a box of angel food cake mix. I've never had an angel food cake that has anything added while mixing it. It is light and has a spicy pumpkin flavor. Nice for the fall for Halloween and Thanksgiving, served with mulled hot apple juice."

Second helpings

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Chicken posole, my favorite slow cooker recipe, is also a hit in Michele Hollar's house. "I have made the slow cooker chicken posole twice since it appeared in the paper last week!" she writes. "We are in the middle of a remodel/move in and out, and it was perfect for people popping in and out and grabbing dinner when they could."

If you don't have a can of Mexican-style tomatoes on hand, you can adjust, Hollar says. "The half-dozen cans of diced tomatoes with chilies disappeared in the move. I simply used a can of diced tomatoes and a four-ounce can of diced green chilies. It was delicious!"

Plates regular Ann Begun has advice for Susan Zaslaw, who wants to make the dish with fresh tomatoes. "About 18 months ago, I stopped using canned tomatoes altogether and switched to fresh," Begun says. "I find that the difference in taste between canned and fresh in a recipe is incredible and worth the expense and effort."

Begun substitutes the same ounces of fresh tomatoes for canned, pulsing the tomatoes in her food processor until they are coarsely chopped. "If the recipe calls for Mexican-style tomatoes, for each eight ounces, I add 1/8 teaspoon cumin and oregano and add a little oregano to the Cuisinart when chopping the tomatoes."

She ignores directions to use peeled tomatoes. "Once you cook things up, the tomato skins aren't identifiable. If the recipe calls for tomato paste, I do use tomato paste."

Second helpings II

Becky Wallingford, of Morgan Hill, and Janice Gussin, of San Jose, offer a suggestion for Bettilee Urich, who is searching for cakes of yeast. "My brother used to get cakes of yeast from Peters' Bakery in East San Jose. I suspect it can be bought from other bakeries, too," Wallingford says.

Request line

Rachel, of Fremont, would like an old-fashioned gingerbread recipe. If you've got a favorite topping recipe, please share that as well.

I tried a Cooking Light slow cooker recipe for Chinese pulled pork barbecue, or char siu, last week. The pork was moist and tender and went well with rice and steamed veggies. But it just didn't have enough flavor for my taste, despite marinating overnight in a mixture that included soy sauce, fresh ginger, five-spice powder and hoisin sauce. I'm wondering if a Plates reader has a favorite slow cooker version of char siu, along with a tangy slaw recipe to serve with the pork.